Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Implementation of a Real-Time Psychosis Risk Detection and Alerting System Based on Electronic Health Records using CogStack
Published on: May 15, 2020
Behavioral Health Risk Factors: the Interaction of Personal and Country Effects
Teresa García-Muñoz1,2, Shoshana Neuman3,4, Tzahi Neuman5
1Department of Quantitative Methods, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. tgarciam@ugr.es.
Purpose:
This study investigated the relationship between the individual's self-assessed health status (SAHS) and health-risk factors (smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity), in 16 European countries. The associations were studied for the individual and for the country measures-and in particular, for the unexplored aspect of interaction between individual and country levels of the three risk factors.
Method:
Data for 47,114 adults, who participated in the Survey of Health Aging and Retirement Europe (SHARE), were analyzed using Multilevel Regression Analysis. The individual data were complemented by OECD data that provided country-specific risk measures: percentage of daily smokers, annual per-capita consumption of alcohol (liters), and percentage of obese individuals.
Results:
We found that the individual's SAHS is negatively associated with smoking and with weight-risk factors and is positively associated with her/his alcohol consumption. The most pronounced associations relate to the weight variables, albeit they are attenuated in countries with higher percentages of obese individuals. Significant differences across countries were evidenced in the association between SAHS and smoking and between SAHS and alcohol consumption.
Conclusion:
Individual health levels are associated with individual risk factors and also with the behaviors in the country. Significant interactions might indicate that psychological factors are at work.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
Five-Factor Theory of Personality
Openness reflects creativity, curiosity, and openness to new experiences. Individuals scoring high in openness are imaginative, have a wide range of interests, and are independent...
Lifestyle Factors and Health
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical activity, whether through structured exercise or casual activities like walking, biking, or dancing, is a cornerstone of a...
Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
The Behavioral Perspective on Personality
Cattell's 16 Personality Factors
In contrast, source traits are the...

